Shanghai Dreams
Encyclopedia
Shanghai Dreams is a 2005
Chinese film
directed by Wang Xiaoshuai
and starring Gao Yuanyuan
, Li Bin, Tang Yang, Wang Xiaoyang, and Yao Anlian. The film was produced by Stellar Megamedia, Debo Films Ltd. and Kingwood Ltd.
Shanghai Dreams was the winner of the Jury Prize
at the 2005 Cannes Film Festival
.
and follows a Shanghai
family who had gone to work in a factory in Guizhou
as part of the 'Third Front
', intended as an industrial base if China were invaded. The father, obsessed with returning to Shanghai for a better life for his family, attempts to prevent a romance between his daughter and a local worker. The film is partly autobiographical in nature, as Wang's family was also sent to Guizhou as a child.
due to the need to create an industrial third line of defense. This third line of defense was set away from cities and the seacoast, in order to protect China's industrial capability in case of a war against the Soviet Union. With the opening up of China in the 1980s, however, many of these urban exiles were given the opportunity to return home to the cities, even as their families had already laid down roots in their new homes. Wang has stated that he set the story in the '80s in that it represented an era of transition, wherein the Cultural Revolution
had ended, but much of the old ways were still ingrained in society.
Qinghong's father Wu Zemin is a stubborn and aggressive man, who has never forgiven his wife for persuading him to move to rural Guiyang. He regularly meets with other 'Third Line' volunteers to discuss strategies for returning to Shanghai. He becomes increasingly strict with Qinghong, often following her home from school to ensure a restricted social life. He forbids her from seeing her 'boyfriend' Honggen, discourages her from spending time with Xiao Zhen and after discovering that she has sneaked out to an underground dance party confines her to the house. Xiao Zhen has meanwhile fallen for the local boy Lu Jun, the son of another 'Third Line' volunteer couple. Lu gets a local girl pregnant and is forced by his angry father to marry her. Soon after the wedding, though, he runs away with Xiao Zhen, causing panic in the local community.
Honggen stalks Qinghong and she promises to meet him secretly one evening. She slips out of the house while her father hosts a meeting with other “Third Line” friends to discuss a plan to flee to Shanghai without official permission. When Qinghong tells Honggen that they cannot be together because her family will soon leave, the nervous Honggen loses control of himself and rapes her. Qinghong totters home, muddied and bleeding. Her father initially tries to retaliate by beating up the Honggen at work, but subsequently alerts the police and has Honggen arrested.
Traumatised, Qinghong attempts suicide. She is recovering when a sad and chastened Xiaon Zhen returns to Guiyang.
Very early one morning, as dawn is breaking, the Wu family boards a van for the drive to Shanghai. They are delayed in the streets of Guiyang by the crowds gathering to watch a round of public executions. Called out on loudspeaker are the names of those to be executed, with the last name called Honggen.http://www.artificial-eye.com/film.php?dvd=ART335DVD
, which suffered from censorship woes. Wang has noted that authorities approached him after realizing that foreign blockbusters were slowly taking over the Chinese market. Wang was then asked to send in a 1000 word summary of the film, after which they asked to see the entire script; both requests were honored and neither was "softened" in Wang's words, as a means to test the openness of the "new" bureau. Wang noted that the film does not represent a "typical" Chinese film; as stated in an interview, Wang states:
Nevertheless the film was released in China theaters shortly after its premier at Cannes.
as an official selection in competition for the Palme d'Or, and received the Jury Prize.
Shanghai Dreams is a 2005
Chinese film
directed by Wang Xiaoshuai
and starring Gao Yuanyuan
, Li Bin, Tang Yang, Wang Xiaoyang, and Yao Anlian. The film was produced by Stellar Megamedia, Debo Films Ltd. and Kingwood Ltd.
Shanghai Dreams was the winner of the Jury Prize
at the 2005 Cannes Film Festival
.
and follows a Shanghai
family who had gone to work in a factory in Guizhou
as part of the 'Third Front
', intended as an industrial base if China were invaded. The father, obsessed with returning to Shanghai for a better life for his family, attempts to prevent a romance between his daughter and a local worker. The film is partly autobiographical in nature, as Wang's family was also sent to Guizhou as a child.
due to the need to create an industrial third line of defense. This third line of defense was set away from cities and the seacoast, in order to protect China's industrial capability in case of a war against the Soviet Union. With the opening up of China in the 1980s, however, many of these urban exiles were given the opportunity to return home to the cities, even as their families had already laid down roots in their new homes. Wang has stated that he set the story in the '80s in that it represented an era of transition, wherein the Cultural Revolution
had ended, but much of the old ways were still ingrained in society.
Qinghong's father Wu Zemin is a stubborn and aggressive man, who has never forgiven his wife for persuading him to move to rural Guiyang. He regularly meets with other 'Third Line' volunteers to discuss strategies for returning to Shanghai. He becomes increasingly strict with Qinghong, often following her home from school to ensure a restricted social life. He forbids her from seeing her 'boyfriend' Honggen, discourages her from spending time with Xiao Zhen and after discovering that she has sneaked out to an underground dance party confines her to the house. Xiao Zhen has meanwhile fallen for the local boy Lu Jun, the son of another 'Third Line' volunteer couple. Lu gets a local girl pregnant and is forced by his angry father to marry her. Soon after the wedding, though, he runs away with Xiao Zhen, causing panic in the local community.
Honggen stalks Qinghong and she promises to meet him secretly one evening. She slips out of the house while her father hosts a meeting with other “Third Line” friends to discuss a plan to flee to Shanghai without official permission. When Qinghong tells Honggen that they cannot be together because her family will soon leave, the nervous Honggen loses control of himself and rapes her. Qinghong totters home, muddied and bleeding. Her father initially tries to retaliate by beating up the Honggen at work, but subsequently alerts the police and has Honggen arrested.
Traumatised, Qinghong attempts suicide. She is recovering when a sad and chastened Xiaon Zhen returns to Guiyang.
Very early one morning, as dawn is breaking, the Wu family boards a van for the drive to Shanghai. They are delayed in the streets of Guiyang by the crowds gathering to watch a round of public executions. Called out on loudspeaker are the names of those to be executed, with the last name called Honggen.http://www.artificial-eye.com/film.php?dvd=ART335DVD
, which suffered from censorship woes. Wang has noted that authorities approached him after realizing that foreign blockbusters were slowly taking over the Chinese market. Wang was then asked to send in a 1000 word summary of the film, after which they asked to see the entire script; both requests were honored and neither was "softened" in Wang's words, as a means to test the openness of the "new" bureau. Wang noted that the film does not represent a "typical" Chinese film; as stated in an interview, Wang states:
Nevertheless the film was released in China theaters shortly after its premier at Cannes.
as an official selection in competition for the Palme d'Or, and received the Jury Prize.
Shanghai Dreams is a 2005
Chinese film
directed by Wang Xiaoshuai
and starring Gao Yuanyuan
, Li Bin, Tang Yang, Wang Xiaoyang, and Yao Anlian. The film was produced by Stellar Megamedia, Debo Films Ltd. and Kingwood Ltd.
Shanghai Dreams was the winner of the Jury Prize
at the 2005 Cannes Film Festival
.
and follows a Shanghai
family who had gone to work in a factory in Guizhou
as part of the 'Third Front
', intended as an industrial base if China were invaded. The father, obsessed with returning to Shanghai for a better life for his family, attempts to prevent a romance between his daughter and a local worker. The film is partly autobiographical in nature, as Wang's family was also sent to Guizhou as a child.
due to the need to create an industrial third line of defense. This third line of defense was set away from cities and the seacoast, in order to protect China's industrial capability in case of a war against the Soviet Union. With the opening up of China in the 1980s, however, many of these urban exiles were given the opportunity to return home to the cities, even as their families had already laid down roots in their new homes. Wang has stated that he set the story in the '80s in that it represented an era of transition, wherein the Cultural Revolution
had ended, but much of the old ways were still ingrained in society.
Qinghong's father Wu Zemin is a stubborn and aggressive man, who has never forgiven his wife for persuading him to move to rural Guiyang. He regularly meets with other 'Third Line' volunteers to discuss strategies for returning to Shanghai. He becomes increasingly strict with Qinghong, often following her home from school to ensure a restricted social life. He forbids her from seeing her 'boyfriend' Honggen, discourages her from spending time with Xiao Zhen and after discovering that she has sneaked out to an underground dance party confines her to the house. Xiao Zhen has meanwhile fallen for the local boy Lu Jun, the son of another 'Third Line' volunteer couple. Lu gets a local girl pregnant and is forced by his angry father to marry her. Soon after the wedding, though, he runs away with Xiao Zhen, causing panic in the local community.
Honggen stalks Qinghong and she promises to meet him secretly one evening. She slips out of the house while her father hosts a meeting with other “Third Line” friends to discuss a plan to flee to Shanghai without official permission. When Qinghong tells Honggen that they cannot be together because her family will soon leave, the nervous Honggen loses control of himself and rapes her. Qinghong totters home, muddied and bleeding. Her father initially tries to retaliate by beating up the Honggen at work, but subsequently alerts the police and has Honggen arrested.
Traumatised, Qinghong attempts suicide. She is recovering when a sad and chastened Xiaon Zhen returns to Guiyang.
Very early one morning, as dawn is breaking, the Wu family boards a van for the drive to Shanghai. They are delayed in the streets of Guiyang by the crowds gathering to watch a round of public executions. Called out on loudspeaker are the names of those to be executed, with the last name called Honggen.http://www.artificial-eye.com/film.php?dvd=ART335DVD
, which suffered from censorship woes. Wang has noted that authorities approached him after realizing that foreign blockbusters were slowly taking over the Chinese market. Wang was then asked to send in a 1000 word summary of the film, after which they asked to see the entire script; both requests were honored and neither was "softened" in Wang's words, as a means to test the openness of the "new" bureau. Wang noted that the film does not represent a "typical" Chinese film; as stated in an interview, Wang states:
Nevertheless the film was released in China theaters shortly after its premier at Cannes.
as an official selection in competition for the Palme d'Or, and received the Jury Prize.
Chinese films of the 2000s
This is a list of films produced in mainland China ordered by year of release in the 2000s. For an alphabetical listing of Chinese films see :Category:Chinese films-2000:-2001:-2002:-2003:-2004:-2005:-2006:-2007:...
Chinese film
Cinema of China
The Chinese-language cinema has three distinct historical threads: Cinema of Hong Kong, Cinema of China, and Cinema of Taiwan. Since 1949 the cinema of mainland China has operated under restrictions imposed by the Communist Party of China's State Administration of Radio, Film, and Television and...
directed by Wang Xiaoshuai
Wang Xiaoshuai
Wang Xiaoshuai is a Chinese film director, screenwriter and occasional actor. He is commonly grouped under the loose association of filmmakers known as the Sixth Generation of the Cinema of China....
and starring Gao Yuanyuan
Gao Yuanyuan
Gao Yuanyuan is a Chinese actress.-Biography:Gao was born in Beijing on October 5, 1979 and entered the entertainment industry in 1996. Known for her fresh looks and chaste spirit, Gao, unlike other mainland Chinese actresses, did not graduate from any drama academic institutions...
, Li Bin, Tang Yang, Wang Xiaoyang, and Yao Anlian. The film was produced by Stellar Megamedia, Debo Films Ltd. and Kingwood Ltd.
Shanghai Dreams was the winner of the Jury Prize
Jury Prize (Cannes Film Festival)
The Jury Prize is an award presented at the Cannes Film Festival. It is chosen by the jury from the 'official section' of movies at the festival. It is considered the third most prestigious prize at the film festival, after the Palme d'Or and the Grand Prix....
at the 2005 Cannes Film Festival
2005 Cannes Film Festival
The 2005 Cannes Film Festival started on May 11 and ran until May 22. Twenty movies from 13 countries were selected to compete. The awards were announced on May 21...
.
Synopsis
The film is set in the early 1980s1980s
File:1980s decade montage.png|thumb|400px|From left, clockwise: The first Space Shuttle, Columbia, lifted off in 1981; American President Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev eased tensions between the two superpowers, leading to the end of the Cold War; The Fall of the Berlin Wall in...
and follows a Shanghai
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
family who had gone to work in a factory in Guizhou
Guizhou
' is a province of the People's Republic of China located in the southwestern part of the country. Its provincial capital city is Guiyang.- History :...
as part of the 'Third Front
Third Front (China)
The Third Front is a massive Chinese development of industry in its south-western interior, where it would be strategically secure in the event of a war.-Origins:...
', intended as an industrial base if China were invaded. The father, obsessed with returning to Shanghai for a better life for his family, attempts to prevent a romance between his daughter and a local worker. The film is partly autobiographical in nature, as Wang's family was also sent to Guizhou as a child.
Background
Shanghai Dreams represents the first time a director has approached the subject of the "Third Line of Defense" and its consequences. This is in no small part due to the director, Wang Xiaoshuai's own upbringing. Like the Wu family, the Wang family was also originally from Shanghai and who moved to GuiyangGuiyang
Guiyang is the capital of Guizhou province of Southwest China. It is located in the centre of the province, situated on the east of the Yunnan–Guizhou Plateau, and on the north bank of the Nanming River, a branch of the Wu River. The city has an elevation of about 1,100 meters...
due to the need to create an industrial third line of defense. This third line of defense was set away from cities and the seacoast, in order to protect China's industrial capability in case of a war against the Soviet Union. With the opening up of China in the 1980s, however, many of these urban exiles were given the opportunity to return home to the cities, even as their families had already laid down roots in their new homes. Wang has stated that he set the story in the '80s in that it represented an era of transition, wherein the Cultural Revolution
Cultural Revolution
The Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution, commonly known as the Cultural Revolution , was a socio-political movement that took place in the People's Republic of China from 1966 through 1976...
had ended, but much of the old ways were still ingrained in society.
Plot
The main character Qinghong is a 19 year old student living with her overly repressive father, mother and younger brother in a typical small apartment. Her 'boyfriend' Honggen, a working local boy who plays only a minor role in the film and develops an obsession with Qihong to her father's contempt. Confiding in her best friend Xiao Zhen, Qinghong strives for love and independence.http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0456658/plotsummaryQinghong's father Wu Zemin is a stubborn and aggressive man, who has never forgiven his wife for persuading him to move to rural Guiyang. He regularly meets with other 'Third Line' volunteers to discuss strategies for returning to Shanghai. He becomes increasingly strict with Qinghong, often following her home from school to ensure a restricted social life. He forbids her from seeing her 'boyfriend' Honggen, discourages her from spending time with Xiao Zhen and after discovering that she has sneaked out to an underground dance party confines her to the house. Xiao Zhen has meanwhile fallen for the local boy Lu Jun, the son of another 'Third Line' volunteer couple. Lu gets a local girl pregnant and is forced by his angry father to marry her. Soon after the wedding, though, he runs away with Xiao Zhen, causing panic in the local community.
Honggen stalks Qinghong and she promises to meet him secretly one evening. She slips out of the house while her father hosts a meeting with other “Third Line” friends to discuss a plan to flee to Shanghai without official permission. When Qinghong tells Honggen that they cannot be together because her family will soon leave, the nervous Honggen loses control of himself and rapes her. Qinghong totters home, muddied and bleeding. Her father initially tries to retaliate by beating up the Honggen at work, but subsequently alerts the police and has Honggen arrested.
Traumatised, Qinghong attempts suicide. She is recovering when a sad and chastened Xiaon Zhen returns to Guiyang.
Very early one morning, as dawn is breaking, the Wu family boards a van for the drive to Shanghai. They are delayed in the streets of Guiyang by the crowds gathering to watch a round of public executions. Called out on loudspeaker are the names of those to be executed, with the last name called Honggen.http://www.artificial-eye.com/film.php?dvd=ART335DVD
Release in China
Shanghai Dreams marks the first time Wang was given a wide degree of freedom by the Film Bureau in comparison to his previous films, notably Beijing BicycleBeijing Bicycle
Beijing Bicycle is a 2001 Chinese drama film by Sixth Generation Chinese director Wang Xiaoshuai, with joint investment from the Taiwanese Arc Light Films and the French Pyramide Productions. The film stars first-time actors Cui Lin and Li Bin, supported by the already established actresses Zhou...
, which suffered from censorship woes. Wang has noted that authorities approached him after realizing that foreign blockbusters were slowly taking over the Chinese market. Wang was then asked to send in a 1000 word summary of the film, after which they asked to see the entire script; both requests were honored and neither was "softened" in Wang's words, as a means to test the openness of the "new" bureau. Wang noted that the film does not represent a "typical" Chinese film; as stated in an interview, Wang states:
Nevertheless the film was released in China theaters shortly after its premier at Cannes.
Awards
The film premiered in the 2005 Cannes Film Festival2005 Cannes Film Festival
The 2005 Cannes Film Festival started on May 11 and ran until May 22. Twenty movies from 13 countries were selected to compete. The awards were announced on May 21...
as an official selection in competition for the Palme d'Or, and received the Jury Prize.
Awards and nominations
- Cannes Film Festival2005 Cannes Film FestivalThe 2005 Cannes Film Festival started on May 11 and ran until May 22. Twenty movies from 13 countries were selected to compete. The awards were announced on May 21...
, 20052005 in film- Highest-grossing films :Please note that following the tradition of the English-language film industry, these are the top-grossing films that were first released in the United States in 2005...
- Palme d'Or- official selection
- Prix du Jury - winner
- 1st International Eurasia Film Festival1st International Eurasia Film FestivalThe 1st International Eurasia Film Festival was a film festival held in Antalya, Turkey from September 24th to October 1st, 2005. This inaugural edition of the International Eurasia Film Festival was jointly organised by the Turkish Foundation of Cinema and Audio-visual Culture and the Antalya...
, 20052005 in film- Highest-grossing films :Please note that following the tradition of the English-language film industry, these are the top-grossing films that were first released in the United States in 2005...
- Best Film - winner
- Tallinn Black Nights Film FestivalTallinn Black Nights Film FestivalTallinn Black Nights Film Festival , is an annual film festival held in Tallinn, Estonia...
- EurAsia Grand Prix
Cast
- Gao YuanyuanGao YuanyuanGao Yuanyuan is a Chinese actress.-Biography:Gao was born in Beijing on October 5, 1979 and entered the entertainment industry in 1996. Known for her fresh looks and chaste spirit, Gao, unlike other mainland Chinese actresses, did not graduate from any drama academic institutions...
as Wu Qinghong, the daughter of a family sent to the Guizhou Province in the 1960s. Her name is the original Chinese title of the film. - Yao Anlian as Wu Zemin, Qinghong's father, obsessed with a return to Shanghai after years in Guizhou.
- Li Bin as Fan Honggen, a local boy whom Qinghong falls in love with.
- Tang Yang as Meifen, Qinghong's mother, and Zemin's wife.
- Wang Xueyang as Xiaozhen, Qinghong's friend, a local Guizhou girl.
- Qin HaoQin HaoQin Hao is a Chinese actor. He is known for starring in the 2009 film Spring Fever.-Early life:In 1996, Qin entered China's Central Academy of Drama...
as Lu Jun, a local boy, Xiaozhen's object of desire. - Wang Xiaofen as Qinghong's brother
- Dai Wenyan as Xiaozhen's mother
- Lin Yuan as Xiaozhen's father
- You Fangming as Lu Jun's father
- Sun Qinchang as Wang Erhua
External links
- Shanghai Dreams at the Chinese Movie Database
Shanghai Dreams is a 2005
Chinese films of the 2000s
This is a list of films produced in mainland China ordered by year of release in the 2000s. For an alphabetical listing of Chinese films see :Category:Chinese films-2000:-2001:-2002:-2003:-2004:-2005:-2006:-2007:...
Chinese film
Cinema of China
The Chinese-language cinema has three distinct historical threads: Cinema of Hong Kong, Cinema of China, and Cinema of Taiwan. Since 1949 the cinema of mainland China has operated under restrictions imposed by the Communist Party of China's State Administration of Radio, Film, and Television and...
directed by Wang Xiaoshuai
Wang Xiaoshuai
Wang Xiaoshuai is a Chinese film director, screenwriter and occasional actor. He is commonly grouped under the loose association of filmmakers known as the Sixth Generation of the Cinema of China....
and starring Gao Yuanyuan
Gao Yuanyuan
Gao Yuanyuan is a Chinese actress.-Biography:Gao was born in Beijing on October 5, 1979 and entered the entertainment industry in 1996. Known for her fresh looks and chaste spirit, Gao, unlike other mainland Chinese actresses, did not graduate from any drama academic institutions...
, Li Bin, Tang Yang, Wang Xiaoyang, and Yao Anlian. The film was produced by Stellar Megamedia, Debo Films Ltd. and Kingwood Ltd.
Shanghai Dreams was the winner of the Jury Prize
Jury Prize (Cannes Film Festival)
The Jury Prize is an award presented at the Cannes Film Festival. It is chosen by the jury from the 'official section' of movies at the festival. It is considered the third most prestigious prize at the film festival, after the Palme d'Or and the Grand Prix....
at the 2005 Cannes Film Festival
2005 Cannes Film Festival
The 2005 Cannes Film Festival started on May 11 and ran until May 22. Twenty movies from 13 countries were selected to compete. The awards were announced on May 21...
.
Synopsis
The film is set in the early 1980s1980s
File:1980s decade montage.png|thumb|400px|From left, clockwise: The first Space Shuttle, Columbia, lifted off in 1981; American President Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev eased tensions between the two superpowers, leading to the end of the Cold War; The Fall of the Berlin Wall in...
and follows a Shanghai
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
family who had gone to work in a factory in Guizhou
Guizhou
' is a province of the People's Republic of China located in the southwestern part of the country. Its provincial capital city is Guiyang.- History :...
as part of the 'Third Front
Third Front (China)
The Third Front is a massive Chinese development of industry in its south-western interior, where it would be strategically secure in the event of a war.-Origins:...
', intended as an industrial base if China were invaded. The father, obsessed with returning to Shanghai for a better life for his family, attempts to prevent a romance between his daughter and a local worker. The film is partly autobiographical in nature, as Wang's family was also sent to Guizhou as a child.
Background
Shanghai Dreams represents the first time a director has approached the subject of the "Third Line of Defense" and its consequences. This is in no small part due to the director, Wang Xiaoshuai's own upbringing. Like the Wu family, the Wang family was also originally from Shanghai and who moved to GuiyangGuiyang
Guiyang is the capital of Guizhou province of Southwest China. It is located in the centre of the province, situated on the east of the Yunnan–Guizhou Plateau, and on the north bank of the Nanming River, a branch of the Wu River. The city has an elevation of about 1,100 meters...
due to the need to create an industrial third line of defense. This third line of defense was set away from cities and the seacoast, in order to protect China's industrial capability in case of a war against the Soviet Union. With the opening up of China in the 1980s, however, many of these urban exiles were given the opportunity to return home to the cities, even as their families had already laid down roots in their new homes. Wang has stated that he set the story in the '80s in that it represented an era of transition, wherein the Cultural Revolution
Cultural Revolution
The Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution, commonly known as the Cultural Revolution , was a socio-political movement that took place in the People's Republic of China from 1966 through 1976...
had ended, but much of the old ways were still ingrained in society.
Plot
The main character Qinghong is a 19 year old student living with her overly repressive father, mother and younger brother in a typical small apartment. Her 'boyfriend' Honggen, a working local boy who plays only a minor role in the film and develops an obsession with Qihong to her father's contempt. Confiding in her best friend Xiao Zhen, Qinghong strives for love and independence.http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0456658/plotsummaryQinghong's father Wu Zemin is a stubborn and aggressive man, who has never forgiven his wife for persuading him to move to rural Guiyang. He regularly meets with other 'Third Line' volunteers to discuss strategies for returning to Shanghai. He becomes increasingly strict with Qinghong, often following her home from school to ensure a restricted social life. He forbids her from seeing her 'boyfriend' Honggen, discourages her from spending time with Xiao Zhen and after discovering that she has sneaked out to an underground dance party confines her to the house. Xiao Zhen has meanwhile fallen for the local boy Lu Jun, the son of another 'Third Line' volunteer couple. Lu gets a local girl pregnant and is forced by his angry father to marry her. Soon after the wedding, though, he runs away with Xiao Zhen, causing panic in the local community.
Honggen stalks Qinghong and she promises to meet him secretly one evening. She slips out of the house while her father hosts a meeting with other “Third Line” friends to discuss a plan to flee to Shanghai without official permission. When Qinghong tells Honggen that they cannot be together because her family will soon leave, the nervous Honggen loses control of himself and rapes her. Qinghong totters home, muddied and bleeding. Her father initially tries to retaliate by beating up the Honggen at work, but subsequently alerts the police and has Honggen arrested.
Traumatised, Qinghong attempts suicide. She is recovering when a sad and chastened Xiaon Zhen returns to Guiyang.
Very early one morning, as dawn is breaking, the Wu family boards a van for the drive to Shanghai. They are delayed in the streets of Guiyang by the crowds gathering to watch a round of public executions. Called out on loudspeaker are the names of those to be executed, with the last name called Honggen.http://www.artificial-eye.com/film.php?dvd=ART335DVD
Release in China
Shanghai Dreams marks the first time Wang was given a wide degree of freedom by the Film Bureau in comparison to his previous films, notably Beijing BicycleBeijing Bicycle
Beijing Bicycle is a 2001 Chinese drama film by Sixth Generation Chinese director Wang Xiaoshuai, with joint investment from the Taiwanese Arc Light Films and the French Pyramide Productions. The film stars first-time actors Cui Lin and Li Bin, supported by the already established actresses Zhou...
, which suffered from censorship woes. Wang has noted that authorities approached him after realizing that foreign blockbusters were slowly taking over the Chinese market. Wang was then asked to send in a 1000 word summary of the film, after which they asked to see the entire script; both requests were honored and neither was "softened" in Wang's words, as a means to test the openness of the "new" bureau. Wang noted that the film does not represent a "typical" Chinese film; as stated in an interview, Wang states:
Nevertheless the film was released in China theaters shortly after its premier at Cannes.
Awards
The film premiered in the 2005 Cannes Film Festival2005 Cannes Film Festival
The 2005 Cannes Film Festival started on May 11 and ran until May 22. Twenty movies from 13 countries were selected to compete. The awards were announced on May 21...
as an official selection in competition for the Palme d'Or, and received the Jury Prize.
Awards and nominations
- Cannes Film Festival2005 Cannes Film FestivalThe 2005 Cannes Film Festival started on May 11 and ran until May 22. Twenty movies from 13 countries were selected to compete. The awards were announced on May 21...
, 20052005 in film- Highest-grossing films :Please note that following the tradition of the English-language film industry, these are the top-grossing films that were first released in the United States in 2005...
- Palme d'Or- official selection
- Prix du Jury - winner
- 1st International Eurasia Film Festival1st International Eurasia Film FestivalThe 1st International Eurasia Film Festival was a film festival held in Antalya, Turkey from September 24th to October 1st, 2005. This inaugural edition of the International Eurasia Film Festival was jointly organised by the Turkish Foundation of Cinema and Audio-visual Culture and the Antalya...
, 20052005 in film- Highest-grossing films :Please note that following the tradition of the English-language film industry, these are the top-grossing films that were first released in the United States in 2005...
- Best Film - winner
- Tallinn Black Nights Film FestivalTallinn Black Nights Film FestivalTallinn Black Nights Film Festival , is an annual film festival held in Tallinn, Estonia...
- EurAsia Grand Prix
Cast
- Gao YuanyuanGao YuanyuanGao Yuanyuan is a Chinese actress.-Biography:Gao was born in Beijing on October 5, 1979 and entered the entertainment industry in 1996. Known for her fresh looks and chaste spirit, Gao, unlike other mainland Chinese actresses, did not graduate from any drama academic institutions...
as Wu Qinghong, the daughter of a family sent to the Guizhou Province in the 1960s. Her name is the original Chinese title of the film. - Yao Anlian as Wu Zemin, Qinghong's father, obsessed with a return to Shanghai after years in Guizhou.
- Li Bin as Fan Honggen, a local boy whom Qinghong falls in love with.
- Tang Yang as Meifen, Qinghong's mother, and Zemin's wife.
- Wang Xueyang as Xiaozhen, Qinghong's friend, a local Guizhou girl.
- Qin HaoQin HaoQin Hao is a Chinese actor. He is known for starring in the 2009 film Spring Fever.-Early life:In 1996, Qin entered China's Central Academy of Drama...
as Lu Jun, a local boy, Xiaozhen's object of desire. - Wang Xiaofen as Qinghong's brother
- Dai Wenyan as Xiaozhen's mother
- Lin Yuan as Xiaozhen's father
- You Fangming as Lu Jun's father
- Sun Qinchang as Wang Erhua
External links
- Shanghai Dreams at the Chinese Movie Database
Shanghai Dreams is a 2005
Chinese films of the 2000s
This is a list of films produced in mainland China ordered by year of release in the 2000s. For an alphabetical listing of Chinese films see :Category:Chinese films-2000:-2001:-2002:-2003:-2004:-2005:-2006:-2007:...
Chinese film
Cinema of China
The Chinese-language cinema has three distinct historical threads: Cinema of Hong Kong, Cinema of China, and Cinema of Taiwan. Since 1949 the cinema of mainland China has operated under restrictions imposed by the Communist Party of China's State Administration of Radio, Film, and Television and...
directed by Wang Xiaoshuai
Wang Xiaoshuai
Wang Xiaoshuai is a Chinese film director, screenwriter and occasional actor. He is commonly grouped under the loose association of filmmakers known as the Sixth Generation of the Cinema of China....
and starring Gao Yuanyuan
Gao Yuanyuan
Gao Yuanyuan is a Chinese actress.-Biography:Gao was born in Beijing on October 5, 1979 and entered the entertainment industry in 1996. Known for her fresh looks and chaste spirit, Gao, unlike other mainland Chinese actresses, did not graduate from any drama academic institutions...
, Li Bin, Tang Yang, Wang Xiaoyang, and Yao Anlian. The film was produced by Stellar Megamedia, Debo Films Ltd. and Kingwood Ltd.
Shanghai Dreams was the winner of the Jury Prize
Jury Prize (Cannes Film Festival)
The Jury Prize is an award presented at the Cannes Film Festival. It is chosen by the jury from the 'official section' of movies at the festival. It is considered the third most prestigious prize at the film festival, after the Palme d'Or and the Grand Prix....
at the 2005 Cannes Film Festival
2005 Cannes Film Festival
The 2005 Cannes Film Festival started on May 11 and ran until May 22. Twenty movies from 13 countries were selected to compete. The awards were announced on May 21...
.
Synopsis
The film is set in the early 1980s1980s
File:1980s decade montage.png|thumb|400px|From left, clockwise: The first Space Shuttle, Columbia, lifted off in 1981; American President Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev eased tensions between the two superpowers, leading to the end of the Cold War; The Fall of the Berlin Wall in...
and follows a Shanghai
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
family who had gone to work in a factory in Guizhou
Guizhou
' is a province of the People's Republic of China located in the southwestern part of the country. Its provincial capital city is Guiyang.- History :...
as part of the 'Third Front
Third Front (China)
The Third Front is a massive Chinese development of industry in its south-western interior, where it would be strategically secure in the event of a war.-Origins:...
', intended as an industrial base if China were invaded. The father, obsessed with returning to Shanghai for a better life for his family, attempts to prevent a romance between his daughter and a local worker. The film is partly autobiographical in nature, as Wang's family was also sent to Guizhou as a child.
Background
Shanghai Dreams represents the first time a director has approached the subject of the "Third Line of Defense" and its consequences. This is in no small part due to the director, Wang Xiaoshuai's own upbringing. Like the Wu family, the Wang family was also originally from Shanghai and who moved to GuiyangGuiyang
Guiyang is the capital of Guizhou province of Southwest China. It is located in the centre of the province, situated on the east of the Yunnan–Guizhou Plateau, and on the north bank of the Nanming River, a branch of the Wu River. The city has an elevation of about 1,100 meters...
due to the need to create an industrial third line of defense. This third line of defense was set away from cities and the seacoast, in order to protect China's industrial capability in case of a war against the Soviet Union. With the opening up of China in the 1980s, however, many of these urban exiles were given the opportunity to return home to the cities, even as their families had already laid down roots in their new homes. Wang has stated that he set the story in the '80s in that it represented an era of transition, wherein the Cultural Revolution
Cultural Revolution
The Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution, commonly known as the Cultural Revolution , was a socio-political movement that took place in the People's Republic of China from 1966 through 1976...
had ended, but much of the old ways were still ingrained in society.
Plot
The main character Qinghong is a 19 year old student living with her overly repressive father, mother and younger brother in a typical small apartment. Her 'boyfriend' Honggen, a working local boy who plays only a minor role in the film and develops an obsession with Qihong to her father's contempt. Confiding in her best friend Xiao Zhen, Qinghong strives for love and independence.http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0456658/plotsummaryQinghong's father Wu Zemin is a stubborn and aggressive man, who has never forgiven his wife for persuading him to move to rural Guiyang. He regularly meets with other 'Third Line' volunteers to discuss strategies for returning to Shanghai. He becomes increasingly strict with Qinghong, often following her home from school to ensure a restricted social life. He forbids her from seeing her 'boyfriend' Honggen, discourages her from spending time with Xiao Zhen and after discovering that she has sneaked out to an underground dance party confines her to the house. Xiao Zhen has meanwhile fallen for the local boy Lu Jun, the son of another 'Third Line' volunteer couple. Lu gets a local girl pregnant and is forced by his angry father to marry her. Soon after the wedding, though, he runs away with Xiao Zhen, causing panic in the local community.
Honggen stalks Qinghong and she promises to meet him secretly one evening. She slips out of the house while her father hosts a meeting with other “Third Line” friends to discuss a plan to flee to Shanghai without official permission. When Qinghong tells Honggen that they cannot be together because her family will soon leave, the nervous Honggen loses control of himself and rapes her. Qinghong totters home, muddied and bleeding. Her father initially tries to retaliate by beating up the Honggen at work, but subsequently alerts the police and has Honggen arrested.
Traumatised, Qinghong attempts suicide. She is recovering when a sad and chastened Xiaon Zhen returns to Guiyang.
Very early one morning, as dawn is breaking, the Wu family boards a van for the drive to Shanghai. They are delayed in the streets of Guiyang by the crowds gathering to watch a round of public executions. Called out on loudspeaker are the names of those to be executed, with the last name called Honggen.http://www.artificial-eye.com/film.php?dvd=ART335DVD
Release in China
Shanghai Dreams marks the first time Wang was given a wide degree of freedom by the Film Bureau in comparison to his previous films, notably Beijing BicycleBeijing Bicycle
Beijing Bicycle is a 2001 Chinese drama film by Sixth Generation Chinese director Wang Xiaoshuai, with joint investment from the Taiwanese Arc Light Films and the French Pyramide Productions. The film stars first-time actors Cui Lin and Li Bin, supported by the already established actresses Zhou...
, which suffered from censorship woes. Wang has noted that authorities approached him after realizing that foreign blockbusters were slowly taking over the Chinese market. Wang was then asked to send in a 1000 word summary of the film, after which they asked to see the entire script; both requests were honored and neither was "softened" in Wang's words, as a means to test the openness of the "new" bureau. Wang noted that the film does not represent a "typical" Chinese film; as stated in an interview, Wang states:
Nevertheless the film was released in China theaters shortly after its premier at Cannes.
Awards
The film premiered in the 2005 Cannes Film Festival2005 Cannes Film Festival
The 2005 Cannes Film Festival started on May 11 and ran until May 22. Twenty movies from 13 countries were selected to compete. The awards were announced on May 21...
as an official selection in competition for the Palme d'Or, and received the Jury Prize.
Awards and nominations
- Cannes Film Festival2005 Cannes Film FestivalThe 2005 Cannes Film Festival started on May 11 and ran until May 22. Twenty movies from 13 countries were selected to compete. The awards were announced on May 21...
, 20052005 in film- Highest-grossing films :Please note that following the tradition of the English-language film industry, these are the top-grossing films that were first released in the United States in 2005...
- Palme d'Or- official selection
- Prix du Jury - winner
- 1st International Eurasia Film Festival1st International Eurasia Film FestivalThe 1st International Eurasia Film Festival was a film festival held in Antalya, Turkey from September 24th to October 1st, 2005. This inaugural edition of the International Eurasia Film Festival was jointly organised by the Turkish Foundation of Cinema and Audio-visual Culture and the Antalya...
, 20052005 in film- Highest-grossing films :Please note that following the tradition of the English-language film industry, these are the top-grossing films that were first released in the United States in 2005...
- Best Film - winner
- Tallinn Black Nights Film FestivalTallinn Black Nights Film FestivalTallinn Black Nights Film Festival , is an annual film festival held in Tallinn, Estonia...
- EurAsia Grand Prix
Cast
- Gao YuanyuanGao YuanyuanGao Yuanyuan is a Chinese actress.-Biography:Gao was born in Beijing on October 5, 1979 and entered the entertainment industry in 1996. Known for her fresh looks and chaste spirit, Gao, unlike other mainland Chinese actresses, did not graduate from any drama academic institutions...
as Wu Qinghong, the daughter of a family sent to the Guizhou Province in the 1960s. Her name is the original Chinese title of the film. - Yao Anlian as Wu Zemin, Qinghong's father, obsessed with a return to Shanghai after years in Guizhou.
- Li Bin as Fan Honggen, a local boy whom Qinghong falls in love with.
- Tang Yang as Meifen, Qinghong's mother, and Zemin's wife.
- Wang Xueyang as Xiaozhen, Qinghong's friend, a local Guizhou girl.
- Qin HaoQin HaoQin Hao is a Chinese actor. He is known for starring in the 2009 film Spring Fever.-Early life:In 1996, Qin entered China's Central Academy of Drama...
as Lu Jun, a local boy, Xiaozhen's object of desire. - Wang Xiaofen as Qinghong's brother
- Dai Wenyan as Xiaozhen's mother
- Lin Yuan as Xiaozhen's father
- You Fangming as Lu Jun's father
- Sun Qinchang as Wang Erhua
External links
- Shanghai Dreams at the Chinese Movie Database